Richard Deitsch has a two-part interview with Keith Olbermann at SI.com. The overriding theme is that Olbermann is very happy with his situation at ESPN. That’s good to hear since happiness has been elusive for him at many points in his career.

If you’ve been watching Olbermann, you know he hardly is a fan of Roger Goodell. Nobody has gone harder in calling for the commissioner’s ouster.

Olbermann’s harsh words likely have made things a bit uncomfortable for ESPN, which has a considerable investment in the NFL. However, he says the network has supported his right to express those views.

Then again, imagine the scene if ESPN tried to curtail Olbermann on Goodell.

From the interview:

Have you heard from either the NFL or your own management about your repeated commentaries calling for Roger Goodell to be fired?

I have not heard from the NFL, not one word. Or, if the NFL has said anything, my management has protected me from it. Now I don’t know that to be true but I know I have had no emails, no phone calls, no threats. As for the resignation call for Goodell, I have heard from management to the highest levels of this company, and they have all been supportive. I don’t know that they have been supportive to the point where they willing to say we agree with you, but they have given me complete support for expressing this opinion.

The first day I said Roger Goodell should quit was after a Peter King story about whether Janay and Ray Rice were interviewed by Goodell together. So that was end of July, beginning of August. I said then that it completely ruined the investigation, and the support from my taking that stance and my right to take that stance has been 100 percent. Since then I might be at three dozen commentaries [on the NFL] and I think the total number of requests for changes is 10 words.

Your employer has a prominent financial connection to the NFL as a broadcast rightsholder. When you call for Goodell to be fired or are highly critical of that league, do you or your staff let your bosses know that it is coming?

I think there have been commentaries they [management] have not been happy with but they let me do them anyway. I think that underscores the mutual respect. They have handed me a big platform on the network and said here are the lines and the process but we will not interfere with what your editorial conclusions are. The mechanics are as soon as we decide what the commentary will be, [executive producer] Kevin Wildes will tell the appropriate executives in Bristol so they may have as much as six hours notice. The key people all get the A Block [opening] commentary and the Worst Persons. So the scripts are sitting with them for a couple of hours. The reason we work on these topics so far in advance is to give the company a chance to vet them and to give our own people the chance to make all the graphics and all the video and all the production elements that make it look slick rather than some guy staring into the camera for six minutes.

Mike Milbury, who participated in 70 fights as a player, generated quite a bit of attention last week on NBCSN by strongly advocating that fighting needs to be eliminated in the NHL.

NBCSN will revisit his statements during the first intermission of Wednesday’s Boston-Detroit game. Milbury and hockey insider Bob McKenzie will examine the issue.

Milbury expanded on his anti-fighting views in an interview with Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Q: What prompted you to take a stand on anti-fighting in the NHL at this point, even as there have been writers and others in the league perhaps saying this for some time now?

A: It’s been evolving. From time to time, I’ve had the conversation with my old boss (Hockey Hall of Famer and Boston Bruins president and GM) Harry Sinden, and I think we both have agreed that it’s not a necessary part of the game.

You hear a lot of comments about how fighting is a way of policing the game – which I’ve described in the past as logical hogwash. I think maybe many do enjoy the spontaneity of a fight as a way of getting immediate justice. But slowly and surely, it’s been eliminated as a tactic. Back when the big, bad Flyers won (the Broad Street Bullies of the early 1970s), intimidating teams physically with their fighting, the league took steps appropriately to curb that. And since that time it’s been slowly diminishing. The recent difficulty of the enforcer to find work in the league has emphasized that. And the overwhelming scare about concussions in our sport, and in sports in general, makes it a logical conclusion that if the behavior can be modified to protect against concussions, then we should absolutely find a way.

Q: And you can speak first-hand about how fighting can affect one’s health after the game?

A: In my era, we signed up for broken bones, bad knees and lacerations of any type. I don’t think any of us were really signing up to be mentally incapacitated in some form or another for the rest of our lives.

I’ve experienced it enough fighting myself. I’ve been TKO’d before and missed games because I’ve been dizzy, lost in space, tired. I just can’t imagine that being somebody’s condition for most of the days of the rest of their lives. I mean, I’ve been out as a player since 1987 and fortunately haven’t had any issues – although some may disagree (laughing). I’ve just had foot surgery. Knee replacement. Several operations on my other knee. Back surgery. I’m an orthopedic mess. The fact I can still count and put a sentence together, sure, I feel fortunate. No one was worried about all that when we played. We saw the older players hobble around, but we were chasing the dream, chasing glory and we felt it was worth that price. But I’m an old guy now. I have a little more perspective.

There are certain events in which television makes it a shared experience for the entire country. The 1989 San Francisco earthquake is one of them.

What promised to be an evening of World Series baseball turned a night of watching a great city deal with an unthinkable emergency. It was one of those TV moments you’ll never forget.

The latest 30 for 30 documents it all in “The Day The Series Stopped” (tonight, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN). Watching the film will have you relive that remarkable night.

Here is the trailer.

Below is an incredible interview with a Candlestick Park worker who found himself clinging to a swinging light tower when the quake hit.

Below is a scene where the shocked players, still in uniform, aren’t sure what to do.

Michael Buteau of Lucas Shaw examine the Royals’ impact in a postseason baseball story at Bloomberg. They write:

Kansas City, with the 31st-ranked market, is the team in the smallest remaining market. While the Royals haven’t been in the playoffs since 1985, it is unlikely to capture the public’s imagination without a well-known player, Swallen said.

“Cinderella is easier to sell if there is at least one recognizable face to attach Cinderella to,” Swallen said. “Kansas City is operating under the difficulty of being a team that hasn’t got a lot of publicity throughout the year. For many people, the postseason might be the first time that they have seen the Royals play.”

Indeed, how many times were the Royals featured in national games this year? Not many.

However, the ratings were strong for Game 1.

The Royals’ 13-inning win in Game 1 on TBS was the most watched game of the postseason with an average of 5.9 million viewers. 

Nevertheless, Fox doesn’t want this World Series match-up:

The worst scenario, based on national appeal, would have Missouri’s Cardinals meeting their in-state rival Royals in the World Series, setting up a battle of the “Show Me State.”

“A battle of Missouri, I don’t know how well that would play on the coasts,” Adgate said.

 

Richard Deitsch at SI.com reports ESPN.com is going to give LeBron the full-court blitz in Cleveland, just like it did when he played in Miami. The problem is, the reporters assigned to the new beat reporters will have to live in Cleveland. Not Miami.

The former ESPN Los Angeles.com writer Dave McMenamin has relocated from L.A. to Cleveland and is now ESPN.com’s beat writer for the Cavs. Windhorst will relocate from Miami to the Midwest and will continue to be a major voice on James in addition to working as a national NBA reporter (Windhorst also has a residence in Cleveland). ESPN also hired former CBSSports.com college football writer Jeremy Fowler to cover the Browns. He’ll also be available for Cavs duty, as will other NBA reporters if the storyline dictates it (which will be often). (Patrick) Stiegman, now the vice president & editorial director for ESPN Digital & Print Media, said that ESPN had interest in expanding its coverage in Cleveland and the return of James cemented that. Obviously, Johnny Manziel’s arrival was also a factor.

“I think we had a pretty good rhythm on the digital side with The Heat Index,” Stiegman said. “It was really an eye-opener for us. It proved to be a successful formula on a story that was of importance both locally and nationally. I think that will be the same thing for LeBron in Cleveland. I have to no doubt we will cover all the stories in the NBA but LeBron will be at the heart of that. We will listen to our audience but, quite frankly, we also pay attention to metrics and I can guarantee you during the time LeBron and that team was in Miami, our Heat traffic was and away the single-most part of what was record-breaking NBA coverage each year. We know there is an audience for this.”

Earlier this week I did a post saying I’m hardly pumped up for another dose of Cardinals-Giants in the NLCS. I also bemoaned the fact that young stars like Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, Bryce Harper, and Stephen Strasburg made a quick exit from the postseason stage. I said baseball could use the star power they would have provided on the big stage.

Well, I have heard from more than a few readers who disagreed with my assessment. Here’s a sample:

Ziggy: Okay, Ed Sherman is a complete moron. Among the reasons baseball is in fact dying is because it’s covered by morons like Ed Sherman. Star power drives baseball? Star power drives ratings, not baseball. Morons in the media who do not know how to frame a story are killing baseball. Maybe they’re bitter about having to shack up for a few days in backwaters like St. Louis, KC or Baltimore. Maybe they think the top storylines for teams like the Cardinals and Giants have been raked to death. Here’s an idea – do some homework and find something original.

Listening to morons in the media whine about small market teams in the playoffs is among the annual rituals that debase the sport. Among its many issues is the fact that baseball has a serious media problem, not a “star problem.”

If baseball can’t survive broadcasting small market teams in the post-season, then divvy up the stars and move every team to a coast.

Alternatively, baseball could quietly seek out pros like those of yore like Red Smith who were far less provincial and small minded to cover their sport. That would be a big step forward.

******

Matt: Well then you’re what I like to call a cliche baseball fan. You probably complain games are too long too. If you can’t appreciate a team thst hasn’t been in the playoffs since 1985, and another team who hasn’t been in the ALCS since 1997, then you just don’t truly appreciate baseball. You must be the guy that picks all the nationally televised games and always picks Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Tigers. No star power?? I guess Nelson Cruz and Adam Jones aren’t stars. I guess seeing the KC bullpen be ridiculously electric isn’t exciting. This is why baseball is such a great game because anything can happen and it’s not played on paper. It’s boring to see the teams with the highest payroll run away with it every year.

******

Lindsay: If all you watch a sport for is star power, then you don’t understand the meaning of sports.

*******

Mark (A White Sox fan): It could be worse…a LOT worse…we could be getting another dose of all Yankees, all Red Sox all the time. So personally I’m not complaining.

The Cardinals (not the Yankees) are the model franchise for MLB (and the fact that they happen to be in the same division as the Cubs and continually beat on them bothers me not a wit! LOL)

*******

HCBerk: More complaining from a Cubs fan; Cardinal fans are all over the country. Yankee and Red Sox fans are in the Northeast and that is it!

Note to HCBerk: You can call me a lot of things, but this die-hard White Sox fans is most definitely not a Cubs fan.

*******

David: Never understood how the San Francisco Bay Area is not considered a Big Market. 7 million people folks. 13 Million in Northern California. Why Strasburg? Bumgarner is younger, better, more accomplished, and can actually pitch past the 7th inning (I think Strasburg only accomplished that 2-3 times in his career!). No Star Power? Posey. Put aside his accomplishments. He’s #2 in MLB Jersey sales behind Jeter. Yeah…He’s popular. Harper??? He had a good NLDS but lets not anoint him of anything more than a guy who hit 13 HR in regular season, batted .270 and bats SIXTH in the lineup. He’s still just potential and name value.

*******

Chris V.: Shame you’re clearly not a fan of the game. I’d be watching the NLCS regardless of the Cards – because I love the GAME.

*****

Thanks for all the notes, everyone. Despite what you said, I’m still not excited. But I’ll watch anyway.

Fox Sports is doing the multicast thing for Game 1 of the NLCS on Saturday night.

The traditional game telecast will be on Fox. Fox Sports 1 then will offer an un-traditional telecast.

The details from Fox Sports.

*******

“NLCS on FOX Sports 1 Powered by JABO” featuring the San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals will be an unconventional game-viewing experience, with an emphasis on statistics, sabermetrics, and graphics with open debate and conversation.  This analytics-driven telecast is under the banner of FOXSports.com’s new baseball blog, “Just a Bit Outside” (JABO), which debuted this past July.

“NLCS on FOX Sports 1 Powered by JABO” will be hosted by FOX Sports’ Kevin Burkhardt.  Burkhardt will be joined by FOX Sports 1 analysts and JABO contributors Gabe Kapler and CJ Nitkowski, FOXSports.com Senior Baseball EditorRob Neyer, and San Diego Padres Manager Bud Black.

In addition to the telecast, FOX Sports will host a live interactive chat on social media using the handle @MLBONFOX. Fans can follow the conversation using the hashtag #JABO.  JustaBitOutside.com will also feature live blogging and video clips of analysis during the game.

The telecast will air on FOX Sports 1 Saturday, Oct. 11 at 8:00 PM ET.  Viewers can also watch the traditional broadcast on FOX Broadcast Network or the Spanish telecast on FOX Deportes.  All NLCS Game 1 telecasts will be available through FOX Sports GO, the app that provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content at home or on-the-go.

FOXSports.com Senior Baseball Editor Rob Neyer explains what viewers can expect: “During the game, our panel will provide insight from every level of baseball, as well as real-time demos, extended replays, and breakdowns of storylines from Game 1. Perched atop a bedrock of data supplied by our various partners, we’ll analyze batter/pitcher match-ups, umpiring tendencies, defensive shifts, controversial calls, and the debatable managerial moves that seem to be the talk of nearly every game in October.”

Ways to Interact with “NLCS on FOX Sports 1 Powered by JABO” 

Websites: www.JustaBitOutside.com, www.FOXSports.com

Mobile Viewing: www.FOXSportsGO.com

Twitter: @MLBONFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXSports1, @robneyer, @GabeKapler, @CJNitkowski, @kevinburkhardt

Hashtag: #JABO

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foxsports, https://www.facebook.com/FOXSports1

Mike Milbury has had enough with fighting in the NHL. He voiced his views on opening night on NBCSN.

I agree. For a long time, I have felt fighting is stupid and doesn’t belong in the game. As I wrote earlier this week, if you read John Branch’s new book, “Boy Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard,” you definitely will have a different perspective the next time two guys throw down their gloves on the ice.